"...dazzling full-color, four-season photographs... a book that itself is a welcome harbinger of spring." -- The New York Times "Robert A. McCabe's book of photographs presents a pristine, uncomplicated view of this recently rehabilitated area, recording the changing seasons and the native and exotic plants and birds interspersed with human park visitors. McCabe's photographs show that even in the heart of the city, the desire to get lost in the wild, however briefly, remains strong." -- ARTnews "...[a] book of splendidly soulful photographs of my favorite part of Central Park." -- Dominique Browning for The New York Times "The Ramble has been a particular focus of the photographer’s art, and Robert McCabe’s images are a valuable contribution to this venerable tradition...His scope leaves no leaf unturned.... McCabe’s book is a testimony to the countless individual visions that each of the thirty five million visitors bring to their time in the park." -- From the Introduction by Douglas Blonsky, President of the Central Park Conservancy 1st place (Gold) in Nature category -- ForeWord Reviews 2011 Book of the Year Award For many New Yorkers, Central Park is Manhattan’s crown jewel and what makes the city livable year round. For tourists, this urban oasis is a must-see destination on any sightseeing visit. For acclaimed photographer Robert McCabe, Central Park is defined by its Ramble—a densely forested 38 acres replete with stunning lake vistas, enormous granite boulders, a canopy of trees, winding paths and streams, and ornate and rustic bridges. McCabe’s photographs in The Ramble in Central Park have captured this wooded labyrinth in its off-the-beaten-path glory in its most photogenic seasons.
The Ramble in Central Park is primarily organized by four regions, supplemented by one large map by Christopher Kaeser of the entire area and four close-ups of each area. The text is a series of essays by writers including The New Yorker’s E. B. White and C. Stevens. Topics cover the history of the park’s creation by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, and the failed attempt of Robert Moses to essentially eliminate The Ramble in the 1950s, as well as The Ramble’s 250 species of woodland birds and the area’s remarkable geology and plant life. A compelling introduction by Central Park Conservancy President and Administrator Douglas Blonsky describes the recent renovation and continued protection of The Ramble.
This photography book should appeal to nature lovers, bird watchers, and New York residents and visitors alike. It is the perfect tourist souvenir before or after a visit to Central Park and The Ramble. Robert A. McCabe’s books include Weekend in Havana (Abbeville, 2007), DeepFreeze! A Photographer’s Antarctic Odyssey in the Year 1959, Metamorphosis, On the Road with a Rollei in the '50s, and Greece: Images of an Enchanted Land 1954—1965. His photographs have been exhibited in the United States, Greece, and France, and have appeared in numerous publications. He is currently working on a book of color photographs of Greece taken for the National Geographic Society in 1957, and a book of photographs of Mycenae from 1955. McCabe lives in New York City, Paris, and Athens. With writings by: Regina Alvarez, Douglas Blonsky, Sidney Horenstein, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, Cal Vornberger, E. B. White, C. Stevens, Marie Winn, and Phil Jeffrey |
